Shuttle car



April 6, 1948- R. M'. H|P1=ARD 2,439,001

SHUTTLE cm Fil ed Dec. :5, 1945 a Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor @0406 M M o oard WW /22m April 6, 1948. R. M. HIFPARD 2,439,001

SHUTTLE CAR Filed Dec. 3, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 1 U Inventor Q406 A t/79pm Z 7 /4 WW m Patented Apr. 6, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Ralph M. Hippard, Middlesboro, Ky.

Application December 3, 1945, Serial "No. 632,318 7 Claims. (01. 214-82) This invention relates to a machine which, although capable of general use, is particularly usefulas a shuttle car for transporting coal in coal mines.

Heretofore, it has been the practice, in the production of coal, to load the mined coal at the working face into a shuttle car by means of a separate loading machine, and to then drive the loaded car from the workingface to the desired point of delivery. Recently, shuttle, cars have been providedwhich are self-propelled and which are adapted to run on the floor of the mine without the necessity of laying tracks The primary object of the present invention is to provide a self-propelled roadway vehicle equipped with means for loading and unloading the same, so as to do away with the necessity of a separate loading machine and to simplify unloading of the vehicle.

A more specific object is to provide an improved shuttle car of the above kind which is comparatively simple, easy to operate, and highly eiiicient in operation.

The exact nature of the present invention, as well as morespecific objects and features thereof, will become apparent from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view, r'-rtly bro ken, away, of a shuttle car constructed in ac-'-- cordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof, partly broken away. l

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view showing the right hand end portion of the car, shown in Figure 1, but with the scoop in scooping P sition. r

Figure 4 is a somewhat diagrammatic perspective view showing parts, of the car and more clearly illustrating the means for tilting the scoop and for moving the scoop longitudinally of the car body.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the scoop in dumping position with its guides engaged with the bifurcated arms forming part of the tilting means for the scoop.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective view, partly broken away, of, the end portion of the car which is provided with the scoop, tilting means, the scoop being in scooping position.

Figure '7 is a fragmentary perspective view 2 with the. latter positioned as in the act of moving the dumped material longitudinally of the body.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary top plan view, partly brok n away and drawn on a reduced scale, substantially of the construction as shown in Figure 8, and a Figure 10 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical transverse section taken on line Ill-Ill of Fi ure 1.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the illustrated shuttle car includes a body 5 provided with front steering and supporting wheels 6 and rear supporting and driving wheels I. The car is selfpropelled and may be provided with any preferred or well known form of driving mechanism and steering gear. These are not illustrated or described in detail because they form no specific part of the invention. However, it is noted that a driving motor for the car is indicated at ii and a steering handle at 9.

The body is disposed substantially horizontally and is open at the top and ends, as well as being in the form of an elongated channel composed 14 and positioned to move within the recesses l3. A scoop I6 is provided which has slides I'I i'lx'ed on the sides thereof at the rear of the same. These slides are adapted formovement into and out of the spaces between the furcations of the arms l5, from and to the ways l2, Means is provided to selectively rotate the shaft M in opposite directions to respectively tilt the scoop 'downwardly to scooping position in front of the body as shown in Figure 3 or upwardly to dumping position partially withinthe adjacent end of the body as shown in Figure 1. This means is prefer, ably power operated and may consist of a double acting fluid pressure motor including a cylinder I8 pivoted for vertical swinging movement near one end on one side of the body 5 as at l9, there being the usual piston reciprocable in the cylin-.

der l8 and provided with a piston rod 20 which projects through the other end of the cylinder and is pivotally connectedto a lever 2| fixed on the adjacent end of shaft l4. Conventional means will be provided to provide a source of fluid under pressure and to control the flow of said fluid so as to introduce the fluid into either desired end of the cylinder and simultaneously exhaust the same from the other end thereof. In the arrangement shown, projection of the piston rod 20 will cause rotation of the shaft [4 in a direction to tilt the scoop downwardly to scooping position, while the retraction of the piston rod 20 will cause rotation of shaft H in a direction to tilt the scoop upwardly to the dumping position.

Means is provided to selectively slide the scoop longitudinally of the body in opposite directions to respectively move the material dumped in the body toward or out of the other end of the body,

or to return the scoop to the position with its guides engaged in the bifurcated arms, preparatory to returning the scoop to scooping position. It wil1 be noted that the arms l5 are positioned so that the spaces between their furcations are aligned with the ways l2 when the scoop is in upwardly swung dumping position, and the arms must be disposed in that position whenever the scoop is moved longitudinally of the body to move the dumped material or to return the scoop into operative relation with the arms l5 preparatory to returning the scoop to its scooping position. The means for moving the scoop longitudinally of the body preferably consists of a double acting fluid pressure motor 22 of the reciprocating type having a cylinder mounted at 23 on one side of the body 5 in a fixed horizontal position, and including a piston reciprocable in said cylinder and having a piston rod 24 provided on its projecting end with 9, transverse spindle 25 having a winding drum 26 journaled thereon. The inner iiange of the drum 25 is in the form of a gear 21 which meshes with a rack 28 rigidly mounted on the adjacent side of the body 5 in a horizontal position and longitudinally of said body. A pull rope or cable 29 is connected at one end to the back of the scoop as'at 30, and at its other end to the drum 25, being'trained around suitable guide pulleys 30 at the end of the body remote to that at which the shaft I4 is mounted. A tall rope 3! is also attached to the back of the scoop l6 and extendsforwardly under the latter downwardly around a pulley 32 provided on shaft l4 intermediate the arms l5. From the pulley 32, the rope 3| extends-rearwardly, laterally and then rearwardly again around guide pulleys 33 and 34 to the drum 25, to which it is attached. The arrangement is such that when the piston rod 24 is retracted, the engagement of gear 21 with rack 28 causes rotation of drum 26 in a direction to wind tail rope 3! on said drum and. simultaneously unwind pull rope 29 from the drum. This causes movement of the scoop longitudinally of the body 5 until the slides l1 ride into the spaces between the furcations of arms l5 and the scoop assumes the dumping position of Figure 1. Also, when the piston rod 24 is pro- 1 jected, the drum 26 is caused to rotate in the opposite direction so as to wind the pull rope 29 on said drum and simultaneously unwind the 4 working place with the scoop raised as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The shaft I4 is then rotated so as to lower the scoop Hi to the scooping position 01 Figure 3, whereupon the car is propelled forwardly so as to cause the scoop to enter the mined coal and become partially loaded therewith. The shaft I4 is then rotated in the opposite direction so as to swing the scoop upwardly to the dumping position of Figure 1. At this time, the pull rope 29 may be actuated so as to move the scoop rearwardly and thereby move the dumped coal rearwardly for the desired distance in the body 5. This cycle of operation is repeated until the body is loaded with coal substantially from end to end, whereupon the car may be propelled from the working place to the point of delivery with the scoop in raised or dumping position. When the car arrives at the point of delivery, it may be unloaded by simply windin the pull rope 29 on the drum 26 and causing movement of the scoop rearwardly of the body, thereby shoving the coal latter is entirely emptied.

In order to keep the recesses I3 covered at their inner sides at all times while the scoop is in scooping or dumping position or being moved from one of said positions to the other, whereby coal will be prevented from entering said recesses and interfering with the operation of the arms i 5, I provide yieldable cover plates 35 on the sides of the scoop l6 and at the back portion of the latter. These cover plates are of sector shape and flatly disposed against the inner faces of the side walls of the scoop as shown clearly in several of the views, said cover plates being pivoted at the axes of their bounding radii to the sides of the scoop as at 35, upon suitable pivot pins which are aligned transversely of the scoop and which permit the cover plates to swing about coincident axes extending transversely of said scoop. Torsion springs 36 may be provided on the pivot pins of thecover plates 35 to swing them rearwardly and thereby yieldingly maintain them in covering relation to the recesses l3 with corresponding flat edges of the same contacting the bottom wall .ll of the car body. The cover plates thus constitute yieldably spring projected or equivalent extensions for the sides of the scoop and relative to which the scoop proper is movable. Thus, the cover plates effectively, close the recesses I3 at their inner sides so as to prevent entrance of coal into the recesses as the scoop is swung to and from scooping position. They move rearwardly with the scoop, but only uncover the recesses l3 when the coal is moved rearwardly in the body rearwardly of said recesses by the scoop.

From the foregoing description, it is believed stood and appreciated by those skilled in the art. It will be particularlyseen that I have provided a very simple and eflicient type of shuttle car embodying means to effectively load and unload the same so that the use of a separate loading machine is unnecessary. The machine may be operated by a single attendant who may readily govern the propulsion and steering of the car, aswell as the loading and unloading thereof. While I have shown and described what is at present believed to be a preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be apparent that the invention is susceptible of modification and changes in details of construction within the spirit thereof as claimed.

1. In a self-propelled manually steered shuttle car, a wheeled horizontal elongated body, said WhatIclaimisr 'body being of channel shape and openat the end of the body and having longitudinally bifurcated arms fixed thereon and movable within said recesses, a scoop having slides fixed on the sides thereof at the rear of the same for movement into and out of the spaces between the furcations of said arms from and into said ways, means to selectively rotate said shaft in opposite directions to tilt the scoop downwardly to scooping position in front of the body or upwardly to dumping position within the adjacent end of the body, and means to selectively slide the scoop longitudinally of the body in opposite directions to move the material dumped therein toward or out of the other end of the body or to return the scoop to the position with its guides engaged in the bifurcated arms preparatory to returning the scoop to scooping position. i 7

2. The construction defined in claim 1, in combination with cover plates for the inner sides of said recesses pivoted to the sides ofthe scoop,

said cover plates comprising yieldable spring projected extensions of the scoop sides,

3. The construction defined in claim 1, in com bination with sector-shaped cover plates for the inner sides of said recesses pivotally mounted on the sides of the scoop upon axes extending transversely of the scoop, and spring means acting on the cover plates to swing them rearwardly and yieldingly maintain the same with flat edges thereof bearing upon the bottom of the car body. 4. The construction defined in claim '1, wherein the means to rotate said shaft comprises a lever fixed on one end of the latter and a double acting fluid pressure motor pivoted on a side. of the car body and having a piston rod pivotally con nected to said'lever.

5. The construction defined in claim 1, wherein the means to slide the scoop comprises pull and 5 'tail ropes connected to the scoop and extending in opposite directionstherefrom, a. double acting fluid pressure motor mounted on a side oi. the car body and including a' piston rod having a projecting end provided with a laterally extending spindle, a winding drum journaled on said spindle and having a gear flange, a rack bar disposed longitudinally of and mounted on one side of the car body, said gear flange of the winding drum being in-me sh with said rack bar, said pull and tail ropes being attached to the winding drum so that when either is wound on the latter the other is paid out therefrom, and guides mounted on the car body about which said pull and tail ropes extend in passing from the scoop to the winding drum.

6. The construction defined in claim 1, in com- I binatlon with cover plates :for the inner sides of said recesses pivoted to the sides of the scoop, and means to maintain saidcover plates in covering relation to said recesses when the scoop is moved from dumping position to scooping position and vice versa.

7. In a shuttle'car, a wheeled horizontal elon- V gated body, said body being open at the ends and embodying side and bottom 'wallsva scoop,

narnnnnces crrnn The following references are of record in. the

file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 415,958 Clark Nov. 26, 1889 1,471,302 Wright et al. Oct. 16, 1923 2,304,086 Hagan Dec, 8, 1942 2,356,434 Russell 'Aug. 22. 1944 eck Feb. 27, 1945 

